Talk:Hossana/@comment-2604:2000:1343:C444:7C90:9D2C:6FB6:968E-20191005194407
| last_aired = | num_seasons = 4 | num_episodes = 300 | related = Gambit | website = http://www.gsn.com/shows/catch21/index.html }} Catch 21 is an American game show broadcast by Game Show Network (GSN). Created by Merrill Heatter (who also produced the show's predecessor Gambit), the series followed three contestants as they play a card game centered on blackjack and trivia. The show is based on a popular online game from GSN's website and aired for four seasons from 2008–11. It was hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro, with actress Mikki Padilla serving as the card dealer. The show received positive critical reception as a whole; the series itself was hailed as "a fun game with a solid concept" while Ribeiro was praised as "hands-down, one of the best game show hosts out there." Additionally, the series was acquired by Bounce TV in 2013, with the network hopeful it could "add fuel" to the channel's growing momentum. On March 21, 2019, GSN announced that the game show would return sometime in October of 2019 with a different format and Ribeiro returning as host. Gameplay Main game Three contestants are each given a card to start a blackjack hand from a standard 52-card deck shuffled prior to taping. Alfonso Ribeiro reads questions and the first contestant to answer correctly earns 100 points. All questions are multiple-choice, however contestants can ring in to answer at any time before the host finishes the question, including before when the choices are given. The contestant who answers correctly can freeze their hand, preventing them from receiving additional cards or reveal the next card from the top of the deck. After revealing the card, the contestant can either accept it for themselves or pass it to one of their opponents who has not yet frozen. If keeping a card, the contestant in control is given another chance to freeze. However, once a contestant has frozen, the remaining contestants must freeze at a score higher than that contestant; ties are not permitted. A contestant is eliminated from the round if their hand exceeds 21. The process is repeated with additional questions and cards until two contestants have frozen or busted. A contestant whose score reaches 21 exactly instantly wins the round. Beginning in season two, a bonus prize is given to the contestant regardless of the outcome of the game. If two contestants bust, the remaining contestant automatically wins the round. If only one contestant has not yet frozen or busted, no additional questions are asked; the remaining contestant simply continues drawing cards until either beating the highest frozen hand or busting. The winner of this round receives 500 points and a power chip to use in the bonus round, assuming that contestant gets that far. After two rounds, the contestant with the lowest score is eliminated. The two remaining contestants play one more round involving the same toss-up question format, but point scores are not kept. The contestant who wins the round receives $1,000 and two additional power chips (originally one), then moves on to the bonus round. Bonus round The winner now controls three separate hands, each staked with one card. A new deck of 52 cards that has been shuffled and cut is used. Cards are drawn for the contestant, one at a time and the contestant then chooses a hand in which to place each card. The contestant can use a power chip to dispose of an unwanted card. The contestant can end the round at any time if they fear the next card will cause them to bust on any of the three hands. However, using a power chip forces the contestant to place the next card in a hand or use another chip if one is available; the contestant cannot stop immediately after playing a power chip. Getting 21 in one hand wins $1,000; in two hands wins $5,000; and if 21 is scored on all three hands, the contestant wins the grand prize of $25,000. If the contestant busts on any one of the three hands, they will lose everything except the $1,000 that the winner received earlier. On some episodes in season two, the top prize was increased to $50,000 with the other payouts remaining the same. Online game The television version of the game was based on a popular online version from GSN's website. In this version, the online player has five minutes to make as many hands of 21 as they can using four columns. The player can play a card in any of their columns as long as the subsequent total is 21 or less; if the card cannot be played in any column, it must be discarded. Playing exactly five cards in a column earns the player a bonus, while the jacks of spades and clubs allow any column to be cleared no matter what. Production The series featured executive producers Scott Sternberg and Merrill Heatter, and premiered on July 21, 2008. On February 18, 2009, GSN renewed the series for a 65-episode second season on April 6, 2009, which featured the addition of an extra power chip in the bonus round in order to increase contestant's chances of winning the top prize. A third season, which was announced on September 16, 2009, debuted on October 12, 2009, with some episodes featuring celebrities with a common bond (such as three The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast members or three former child stars) playing for charity. The show's fourth and final season debuted on August 16, 2010. On March 21, 2019, Adweek reported that GSN would revive Catch 21, producing new episodes for the first time in nearly a decade. The show was announced to have a different format then the original episodes and Ribeiro was chosen to return as host however Padilla would not return. Reception Critical reception for Catch 21 was generally positive. Carrie Grosvenor of About Entertainment argued that the series was "a fun game with a solid concept...It's definitely worth checking out." Hollywood Junket also praised Ribeiro, calling him "hands-down, one of the best game show hosts out there...the fun, brother/sister type chemistry between himself and Padilla is rare and benefits the show greatly." Additionally, Bounce TV expressed excitement when announcing their acquisition of the series in 2013, citing the series' popularity among GSN viewers and consistent ratings growth during its original run. The network's chief operating officer Jonathan Katz commented, "We are very confident that the broadcast premieres of The American Bible Challenge and Catch 21 will add fuel to Bounce TV’s skyrocketing growth." References External links * * * Category:2008 American television series debuts Category:2011 American television series endings Category:2000s American game shows Category:2010s American game shows Category:Blackjack television programs Category:Cable game shows Category:English-language television programs Category:Game Show Network original programs Category:Television series by Heatter-Quigley Productions Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles